Gearing.



G. E. A. ESSE & G. W. WATSON.

GEABING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1910.

Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WIT/VFSSES 0. E. A. ESSE 5: G. W. WATSON. GEARING.

APPLIQATION FILED MAR. 28, 1910.

Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

3SHEETSSHEET 2.

G. E. A. ESSE & G. W. WATSON.

GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED MAIL 28, 1910.

Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

a sums-sunk.

W/T/VEJSES UNlTED s ra rns Parana carton- -CHARLES EDWARD ADOLPHUS ESSE, 0F BARNES, AND GEORGE WILLIAM WATSON,

OF EAST SHEEN, ENGLAND.

GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application 'filed March 28, 1910. Serial No. 552,033.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES EDWARD ADoLrHUs Essn, residing at 28 Station road, Barnes, in the county of Surrey, England, and GEORGE -WILLIAM WATS N, of Ormonde road, East Sheen, in the county of Surrey, England, both subjects of the King of Great- Britain and Ireland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gearing, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to hydraulic clutch mechanism and to that variety of such clutch mechanism in which reverse is obtained through the medium of an epicyclic gearing.

Theinvention broadly consists of the combination of .an epicyclic gearing and a hydraulic clutch of that kind in which the variable transmitting means interposed between the driving and driven shafts comprises a drum or casing connected to the driving shaft and eccentrically disposed with respect-to the common axis of bot-h shafts, a rotatable member consisting of a hollow. he'ad, contained within the drum or casing and provided with a suitable number of radially guided shoes adapted to contact with the inner surface of the drum or an interposed ring so as to divide the interior of the drum' or casing into two or more pockets, and means, under the control of an operator, for limiting the flow of oil or the like between the pockets.

Two embodiments of the invention are illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the one embodiment and Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof taken on the line a-a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sect-ion of the second embodiment. Fig. 4 illustrates said embodiment in transverse section on the lines b7) and 00 of Fig. 3, that on the right hand side of the figure illustrating the section on the line b?) and that on the left hand side of the figure the section on the line 0-0. Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse sections of Fig. 3 on the lines dd and e-e. Fig. 7 is a part elevation and part longitudinal section illustrating, on an enlarged scale, certain details of the hollow head and rotatable valve, shown in Figs. 3 to 6, and certain parts cooperating therethe head 9.

with. Fig. 8 is a section of Fig. 7 taken on the line f-f, and Fig. 9 is a section of Fig. 7 taken on the line ,r g.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, l is the driving shaft and 2 is a hollow drum or casing secured to the shaft 1 through the medium of a flange on the latter. 3 is a cover which completes the drum 1. 4 is a toothed Wheel secured to the driving shaft and forming the sun wheel of an epicyclic gearing. The wheel 4 meshes with one or more planetary pinions 5 and these in turn engage with an internally toothed ring 6 which is either integral with the driven shaft 7, as shown, or is made separate and secured to same. The planetary pinions 5 Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

arerotatably mounted on pins 8 which are forced against the inner surface of the drum 1 or of an interposed floating ring 13 by means of springs 14. The shoes 12 divide the annular space obtaining between the hollow head 9 and t-he'inner face of the floating ring 13 into two pockets and as the bore of the drum 2 is eccentrically disposed with respect to the axis of the hollow head 9 the two parts cooperate in such manner that relative movement of the head 9 and the drum 2 decreases or increases the capacities of the pockets. A suitable liquid fills the pockets of the drum 2 and the head 9 and this liquid as the capacities of the pockets are varied is driven from one pocket to another through ports 15 formed in 16 is a rotatable valve which is provided with ports 17 corresponding in number and angular spacing to the ports 15 and serves as a means for controlling the passage of liquid from one pocket to another. The valve 16 .is integral with a sleeve 18 which is loosely mounted on the driven shaft 7 and is 'surrounded by a similar sleeve 19 forming part ofthe head 9.

20 is a collar which is slidably mounted on the sleeve 19 and is formed with a groove 21for the engagement of an actuating lever. 22 are pins secured to the collar 20 and passing through straight slots 23 in the sleeve 19 and helical slots 24 in the sleeve 18 The valve 16, the head 9 and the collar 20 normally rotate together, but when the collar 20 is moved axially the relative angular positions of the head 9 and the valve 16 are altered and the areas of the passages afiorded by the ports 15and 17 varied. 25 is a brake drum which is keyed or otherwise secured to the sleeve 19 of the hollow head 9, and 26 is a short sleeve supporting the outer end of the driven shaft 7. 27 is a bearing supporting the outer end of the sleeve 19 and 28 is a bracket supporting the bearing 27. 29 is part of a universal joint of ordinary construction. The sides of the drum 2 and this cover. 3 are preferably formed with webs 30 and over these webs are placed casings 31.

The operation of the above described mechanism is as follows :-As the drum 2 and the sun wheel 4 rotatein the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2 the planetary pinions 5 will be rotated on their axes in the opposite direction to that of j the wheel 4, and as the pinions 5 also mesh with the internally toothed ring 6 on the shaft 7, the

shaft 7 would,'if it offered no resistance to rotary motion, be rotated in a reverse direction to the wheel 4. The shaft 7 however is connected to the machinery which it is intended to drive and is therefore under load and the resistance thus oflered to its rotary motion will cause the pinions 5 to travel around the inside of the toothed ring 6 but at a reduced speed, which is proportional to A where A and B represent the number of teeth in the wheel land the toothed ring 6 respectively.- When traveling around the toothed ring 6, the pinions 5 carry with them the hollow head 9. Relative rotary movement thus takes place between the head 9 and the drum 2 and so long as the ports 15 remain open to their fullest extent, so as not to interfere with the free passage/of liquid from one of the aforesaid pockets to the one diametricallyopposite to it, the head 9 will continue to rotate at a slower speed than the drum 2. If now the collar 20 is moved to the left of Fig. 1 the ports 15 in the head 9 will be partially closed, and consequently the liquid will not be able to flow from one pocket to another at a rate corresponding to the variations in the capacities of the pockets. The consequence of this is that the speed of the head 9 will be accelerated and the toothed ring 6 and the shaft 7 will commence to rotate and transmit power. ports 15 are closed still more, the

will rotate more nearly at the same speed as the sun wheel 4 and when said ports are quite closed so as to prevent the passing of any liquid the whole mechanism will r04 tat-e as one piece and the shaft 7 will be driven at the same speed as the shaft 1, the epicyclic gear being inoperative. In order to drive the shaft 7 in the reverse direction to the shaft 1 the ports 15 are opened to their fullest extent and a brake band or shoe is applied to the surface of the brake drum 25' or other means employed to prevent the head 9 rotating on its axis. The fdrive is then transmitted by the wheel 4; land the pinions 5 to the toothed ring 6 which is thus caused. to rotate in a. reverse direction to the wheel 4 in the ratio-" -A ind B representing the same values as beore.

, Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 illustrate subistantially the same arrangement of parts as {those already described with reference to ;Figs. 1 and 2, and for the purpose of ready gidentification of similarly constructed parts =the same reference figures are, as far as pos- ;sible, used in both cases.

Referring now to Figs. 3 to-9, 2 is a hol- ;low drum secured to the driving-shaft (not jshown) and is formed in the present case of stegral with a disk- 6'. The disk 6 is keyed to a sleeve 6" fitting on to the driven shaft 57. The sleeve 6" is provided atits end *which is remote from the disk 6 with a suitable number of claws 6*. 9 is a hollow .head which is formed in two parts, secured 'to one another by means of bolts 10, and is provided with radially disposed peripheral .pockets 11 for the reception of sliding shoes 12. The shoes 12 are forced into contact with the surface of the ring 2" of the drum 2 by means of springs 14:. The shoes 12 divide the annular space obtaining between,

The pinions 5 mesh with the sun wheel 4 I land with an internally toothed ring 6 in head 9, which together with the drum 2 is filled with a suitable liquid, and 16 is a rotatable valve provided with ports 17 cor.- responding in number and angular spacing -to the ports 15.and adapted to co-act therewith as in the previously described embodiment of the invention. The rotatable Valve 16 is integral with a sleeve 18 which fits on to the sleeve 6-of the disk 6', and

the head 9 is provided with a similar sleeve 19 which embraces the sleeve 18. 20 are studs secured to the sleeve 18. The studs 20 pro required times by means of a lever 24. This lever 24 is secured to a rock shaft 25 which is mounted in a bracket 26 secured to a fixed casting 27. The shaft 25 is rocked by the depression of a pedal lever 28 and the latter is retracted by means of a spring 29 and is provided with a slot 28'. 30 is a fixed cone supported from the casting 27'and serving as a brake surface for the cone 23 and as an abutment for a second cone 31. The cone 31 is slidably mounted by means of its hub on the sleeve 6 of the toothed ring 6 and is provided with pawls 32 which are pressed by means of springs 33 into engagement with notches 34 formed in the sleeve 6'',

this arrangement of pawls 32 and notches 34 constituting a free-wheel device. 35 is a spring which encircles the hub of the cone 31 and bears at its ends against said cone and a part fixed to the casting 27. 36 is a hand lever fixed at its center to a rock shaft 37 which is supported by the casting 27. The lowerend of the lever 36 engages with a slidable sleeve 38. The rear end of the sleeve 38 is slidably and non-rotatably mounted in a short tubular shaft 39 revolubly mounted in the casting 27 The front end of the sleeve 38 is made hollow and is provided with claws 40 which are adapted, when the hand lever 36 is moved, to engage either with the claws 6 on the sleeve 6 or with claws 7 on the end of the driven shaft 7. When it is desired to obtain a forward drive the pedal lever is depressed so as to disengage the slidable cone 31 from the fixed cone 30 and the hand lever 36 is moved so as to cause the claws 40 of the slidable sleeve 38 to become engaged with the claws 7 on the driven shaft 7.

The action of the mechanism will then be as follows :-As the drum 2 and the sun disengages the cone 23 from the fixed cone 30. The cone 31 is then forced by the spring 35 into engagement with the fixed cone 30. The engagement of the cones 30 and 31 arrests the backward rotation of the sleeve 6 and the internally toothed ring 6 owing to the pawls 32 being'held against rotation. The pinions 5 are thus compelled to creep ing wheel of the car.

around the toothed ring 6 in the same direc tion as the sun wheel 4 is rotating but at a speed proportional to v v A A representing the number of teeth in the sun wheel 4 and B the number of teeth in the toothed ring 6. The pinions 5, as'they travel around the toothed ring 6, rotate the head 9 in which their spindles are housed. Relative rotary movement between the drum '2 and the head 9 results and as long as the ports 15 in the head 9 are open to the fullest extent, so as not to interfere with the free passage of the oil or other fluid from one side of the shoes 12 to the other side thereof,

the head 9 will continue to be driven at a slower speed than the drum 2. If the slidable sleeve 22 is moved in the direction of the left of Fig. 3 so as to cause the ports 15 in the head 9 to be partly closed by the ports 17 of the valve 16 the oil or other liquid will not be able to flow from one side of the shoes 12 to the other side thereof as quickly as the capacities of the two pockets are varied. Consequently interference with the free passage of the oil or the like causes the speed of the rotation of the head 9 to be accelerated. The toothed ring 6 and its sleeve 6" will then commence to revolve in the same direction as the driving shaft 1, and the sleeve 6" to rot-ate inside the hub of the cone 31 and the notches 34 past the pawls 32. If the ports 15 are closed still more the head 9 and the drum 2 will rotate more nearly at the same speed, and, when the ports 15 are wholly closed, all the parts will rotate as one piece, the epicyclic gearing being then inoperative. The vertical rise of the pedal 28 may be limited by a pin engaging with the slot 28 and controlled by a hand lever mounted in a convenient position say, in the case of a motor car, on the steer- When this lever has been set for any particular speed the pedal may be brought to the zero position without affecting the adjustment of the hand lever. In order to obtain a drive in a reverse direction the slidable sleeve38 is moved so as to cause its claws 40 to engage with the claws 6 on the end of the sleeve 6. This movement is performed while the pedal 28 is depressed about three-quarters of its total movement. When the pedal 28 is in that position the ports 15 in the head 9 are fully open and the cone 23 is disengaged from the fixed cone 30. Further downward movement of the pedal 28 will cause the cone 23 to be pressed into contact with the fixed cone 31 which then serves the purpose of a brake surface and prevents the rotation of the sleeve 19 and the head 9. The drive is then transmitted by the sun wheel 4 through the pinions 5, which no longer travel around The drive is transferred from the sleeve 6" through the slidable sleeve 38 to the tubular shaft 39.

Having now described our invention what we desire to secure by- Letters Patent is as follows In epicyclic gearing the combination of a driving shaft 1, a hollow drum 2 secured to the driving shaft 1, a hollow head 9 provided with a sleeve 19 and with radially disposed peripheral pockets 11, springactuated shoes 12 guided by the pockets 11 and bearing against the inner surfaces of the hollow drum 2, a sun wheel 4 fixed to the center of the hollow drum 2, a driven shaft 7, a disk 7 secured thereto, pins 8 supported by the hollow head 9 and by the disk 7 planetary pinions 5 rotatably mounted on the pins 8, an internally toothed ring 6 engaging with thepinions 5 and fixed to a sleeve 6", a rotatable valve 16 bearing against the inner periphery of the hollow head 9 and formed integral with a sleeve 18 located between the. sleeves 6" secured to the ring of teeth 6 and the sleeve 19 of f .the hollow head 9, the hollow head 9 and the rotatable valve 16 being provided with ports 15- and 17 respectively, a collar 22 slidably mounted on the sleeve 19 of the j hollow head 9 and formed with helical slots f 21', said collar being provided with a cone '23, studs 20 secured to the sleeve 18 of the rotatable valve 16 and passing throu h the slidabl helical slots 21 rovided in the col ar 22 and in 'segm ta slots 21 formed in the sleeve 19 of t e hollow head 9, a cone 31 mounted on the sleeve 6" of the toothe ring 6 and provided with pawls 32 fiengaging with notches 34 in the sleeve E6", a fixed cone 30 supported from a castiing 27 and serving as a brake surface for :t-he cone 23 and as an abutment for the cone 31, a spring 35 encircling the hub of the cone 31 and tending to constantly press the cone 31 toward the fixed cone 30, a

sleeve 38 sufpported on the outer end of the I driven sha t 7 and slidably and non-rotatably mounted in an tubular shaft 39, the

front of the sleeve 38 being provided withclaws 40 and the end of the sleeve 6" of the toothed ring 6 and the end of the driven ;shaft 7 being provided with claws 6 and ;7" respectively coiiperating with the claws In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two witnesses.

UHARLES EDWARD ADOLPHUS ESSE. GEORGE WILLIAM WATSON. Witnesses:

ARTHUR F. Enn s, RIPLEY WILSON. 

